Congress demands Ravi Raju's resignation

Even as it insisted that corporator G.V. Ravi Raju elected on Congress ticket and named YSR Congress city convener should resign on moral grounds, Congress upped the ante by challenging him to bring a no-confidence motion.

Addressing a press conference at which a number of corporators were present, Congress floor leader Behera Bhaskara Rao disputed the claim of Mr. Ravi Raju that YSR Congress had the support of 12 corporators in the GVMC.

Mr. Bhaskara Rao said the Congress would submit a representation to the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner seeking the suspension of Mr. Ravi Raju.

The corporator who won thrice on Congress ticket should resign on moral grounds before taking up positions in other parties. Instead of resigning as announced by him earlier, he had given a letter asking for an opportunity to speak on various issues in the general body meeting. Did it mean he had not spoken on problems during the last four and a half years, Mr. Bhaskara Rao asked.

He deplored the attack on Youth Congress workers who were on a peaceful protest, by Mr. Ravi Raju's supporters.

The corporators whose support YSR Congress was claiming were in two minds as they were confused as to under whose leadership they had to work.

He said they did not take up any positions in the YSR Congress party and hence their resignation was not being demanded.

Corporator Banala Srinivasa Rao challenged the 12 corporators to resign and said he and Mr. Bhaskara Rao would also quit and all of them could seek re-election to know who people supported.

Slideshow

Workers carryingout repairs to Visakhapatnam District Collector's Office, as it was damaged in Cyclone Hudhud in 2014 October. The majestic heritage building was designed and built by Dutch engineering company Gannon Dunkerly in 1865 and completed by 1914. Photos: C.V. Subrahmanyam